- Venue
- Black Swan Arts gallery
- Location
- South West England
Gallery One
Sheep – from Lamb to Loom. August 22 – October 3
‘Sheep – Lamb to Loom’ presents the paintings and drawings of artist Kate Lynch alongside a sound piece by Alastair Goolden, all investigating sheep and wool. This exhibition has been touring since March & continues to do so until mid October, & is the culmination of three years work documented in Lynch’s accompanying book. The paintings themselves are accompanied by written excerpts of dialogue with the various individuals met along the journey. Superfluous then, is the audible dialogue that makes up the majority of Goolden’s sound piece, which although adding a slight ambience to the room, mainly just feels unnecessary.
Well established in the West Country as a prominent local artist, Lynch’s paintings had no problem living up to expectations. Her unmistakeable personal style of sweeping lines and heavy-set, towering figures, here depict farmers, sheep-shearers, cheese makers and craftspeople among others. Hard at work and humble, their labours are gracefully depicted by Lynch’s soft palette and wonderful characterization. Hair flopping forward and with sleeves rolled up, farmers shear sheep from a variety of poses, with swirling perspective inviting us to forget all else except this microcosm of rural livelihood. Works vary in size, but keep continuity both in high standard and style. The drawings in this exhibition are equally expressive, using charcoal to address the sometimes bleak, yet familiar landscape where these animals reside. A couple of these however, seem to lack the windswept gusto that the majority display, with harsher lines giving a lesser sense of movement. This said, the collection as a whole is very good indeed, embodying a wealth of personal stories, beautiful landscapes & charming individuals.
Gallery Two
BLUE. September 19 – October 4
The round tower at the Black Swan Arts Gallery hosts ‘Blue’, which boasts an intriguing inspiration. Centred around an 18th century dye recipe book originally from nearby Wallbridge wool mill, three female artists have created a variety of work in a thoughtful response. Containing wool samples in a surprising array of colours, the book details dying methods using woad, a plant traditionally used for creating indigo or blue. Aptly situated in the tower which was possibly used for wool drying around the same time, Carolyn Griffiths glass works mainly consist of bright, plate-like designs. Both laid flat and hung at eye-level, these have a particular radiance no doubt enhanced by the luminous shades of blue chosen by the artist. These curved glass panels have an interesting dynamic, working well both as decorative or functional pieces. Subtle layers of patterns include images of the woad seed itself, reminding the viewer of the ancient method of achieving blue hues.
In a similar display of craftsmanship, Carol Griffin uses organza amongst other textiles to create wonderful curls and concertinas of fabric, (keeping the blue theme of course), that also span the practical and the aesthetic. Carefully pinned and clipped into curling twists of printed, ruffled and painted textiles, many of these pieces are simultaneously simple & highly detailed. Looking half camera-film, half fish-spine, these ingenious creations are cleverly shaped and positioned between glass. It is great to see such scope from the artist, as she has created pretty wearable accessories as well as imaginative wall-pieces. The work of Ama Bolton completes the trio, with another fabric-based contribution. Working mainly with wool, linen, silk and paper, I was particularly delighted by Bolton’s handmade, striped woollen wrist-warmers which looked very cosy indeed. The Black Swan Art Gallery has done brilliantly to bring this exhibition together so coherently, with three artists whose work reflects well upon each other whilst giving an insight into an interesting bygone local craft.
